Match overview: Holland claimed third place at the 2014 World Cup after easily winning a game they didn’t want to play against a desperately disappointing Brazil. For the hosts, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari made uninspired substitutions that surely sealed his fate.

Any hope that Brazil might be able to salvage some pride from the tournament were ended in the second minute when Thiago Silva pulled back Arjen Robben. Brazil’s captain was booked for the foul, which happened right on the edge of the area. But the referee Djamel Haimoudi gave the penalty anyway.

Van Persie converted the spot kick and the game was over as a contest when Holland scored their second in the 17th minute. Georginio Wijnaldum’s cross from the right was headed away by David Luiz, but only as far as Daley Blind, unmarked on the penalty spot. Holland’s left-back had time to chest the ball down and place a smart volley past Julio Cesar.

Scolari reacted at half-time by replacing Luiz Gustavo with another defensive midfielder, Fernandinho, the player who had been withdrawn at the break against Germany because he had been so poor. Hulk and Hernanes were Scolari’s other changes, but they had little impact.

Brazil were unlucky to see Oscar booked for a dive when he was clearly tripped by Daley Blind in the penalty area midway through the second half. There was physical contact to the extent that Blind had to be subbed and carried off on a stretcher, yet no penalty was awarded. Oscar had been guilty of diving earlier in the game, but not on this occasion.

Holland added a third goal in injury time, when Wijnaldum turned in substitute Daryl Janmaat’s cross. More poor defending by Brazil on a miserable night for the hosts.

Key moment: David Luiz’s weak and poorly-directed header which led directly to Holland’s second goal. It was just like watching the Brazil of three days earlier.

Man of the match: Arjen Robben. The Bayern Munich forward was again Holland’s biggest attacking threat.

Matter of fact: With the late substitutions of Joel Veltman and Michel Vorm, Holland became the first country to use all 23 players in their squad over the course of a World Cup .

Talking point: Brazil had the chance to restore some pride after the humiliating semi-final defeat to Germany. But they carried on where they left off in Belo Horizonte, with poor defending gifting Holland all three goals. Before the tournament Brazil’s defence had seen as the side’s biggest strengths, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side ending up conceding 14 goals over the course of seven matches.